Rocket Risen
by Cyri's Alter Ego
Summary: "One tip for free, rookie. Don't trust anyone." Pain breeds fear. Fear breeds pain. A recruit of Team Rocket knows that too well, and no one more than Leo. But fear is a weakness, and weakness is the one thing Team Rocket will not accept. So if you're a grunt with a weakness, you'd best be prepared to be dragged under.
1. ONE

**i originally wrote this in 2011 and published it here. now we're here in 2015 and i'd like to think this rewrite is a bit of an improvement. warning: this fic is almost entirely comprised of ocs, so i don't expect that much traffic! but if you do like it shoot me a fav or a review.**

 **everyone likes team rocket, after all :)**

ONE

It was early. The sun was just starting to spread its sleepy rays across the sky, and the clouds were candyfloss-pink. Overhead, a Farfetch'd cried out, the sound muffled by the stalk in its beak.

Down below, a flock of Mareep huddled in their pen. They were asleep, for now, a bodiless mass of crackling wool. The farmer wouldn't be up for another half an hour. Until then, they wouldn't wake.

Except for one.

One of the Mareep was already awake, and had been since first light. Already awake, and already hungry. Now she was patrolling back and forth in the pen, giving impatient little bleats.

Where was the farmer? She could hardly go back to sleep with this rumbling in her belly, and her trough was empty. She nudged another Mareep.

"Reep!"

No luck – the other Pokémon snuffled and turned over.

Frustration was making the Mareep's trotters itch. She had to get out of this pen and find some food. Glancing around, she put her trotters up on the wooden beams of the pen and bleated. A soft breeze tickled her face, and she held in a sneeze.

Purple caught her eye. A Rattata was digging in the undergrowth near the base of a tree. The Mareep bleated in delight – another creature was awake! And those teeth… surely those teeth could make quick work of her pen's wooden beams.

"Reep! Reep!" the Mareep called out, trying to get the other Pokémon's attention. The Rattata paused and looked at her, nose twitching. She stamped a foot. "Reep, reep! Ma-reep!"

The Rattata cocked its head, and then turned tail and scampered into the trees.

"Reep!" Disappointment swelled in the Mareep's throat and she fell back onto all fours. She was still so hungry! Now what was she going to do?

She glanced back at the flock. Still asleep. Then she looked at the wooden beams in front of her. They were sturdy, but… her headbutt attack was strong. The Mareep snorted. She didn't need some silly Rattata. She would get out of here by herself.

Slowly, she backed away from the fence, and narrowed her eyes, measuring the distance. She lowered her head.

Then she charged.

On the other side of the field, inside the cosy farmhouse, the farmer's son was pulling on his socks. Five-year-old Leo had woken up before his parents, and it was too sunny to sleep. He'd snuck a look through his Pokéball-patterned curtains and felt excitement surge through him. Maybe he could go and visit the Mareep! He'd never been down to their pen without his mother or father before.

Leo loved the Mareep. He loved the jolt of electricity when he patted them, he loved their docile faces and placid bleating. So as soon as he'd pulled his jacket and wellingtons over his pyjamas, he stole out of the front door.

His feet left a trail in the dewy grass and he giggled. It felt like such fun to be outside so early, and to be by himself, too! It would be just him and the Mareep. His breath left him in mist as he crossed the front paddock.

"Reep!" Thud. "Reep!" Thud. "Reep!" Thud.

"Huh?" Leo squinted at the Mareep pen. Something seemed to be going on. Were the Mareep up?

He ran towards the pen, almost tripping. One of the Mareep was rushing at the fence, scratched and muddied.

"Reep!" it cried as its head struck the beam. The force of its attack threw it back and it landed in the mud, but it scrambled to its feet at once, ready for more. Some of the other Mareep had also awoken and were crying out in distress.

"M-Mareep!" Leo said. He didn't waste any time scrambling over the side of the pen and into the mud. "Mareep, stop it! You'll hurt yourself!"

The Mareep paid no attention as it slammed into the beam again, making the whole pen tremble. It fell back, panting.

It looked like it was going to try again. "Mareep, no!" Leo ran towards it as it started to charge, and grabbed its pelt.

This was a mistake. The Mareep swung around to look at him, eyes half-crazed with pain. "REEP!" it screeched, and loosed a thundershock attack.

Leo screamed.

His body was on fire – every nerve, every fibre, every cell. His eyes rolled back in his head and he writhed, but he was no longer aware of what he was doing – unaware of where he was, who he was, only aware of pain, pure pain, never-ending pain—

And then it stopped. Leo lay face-down in the mud, unable to move. His screams died to disjointed whimpers.

The smell of burned hair reached his nostrils. His heart was going mad with fear, but he was only half conscious of it. He couldn't think. Couldn't feel, even when the other Mareep came over to nose him with inquisitive eyes.

His father found him crumpled there later, and rushed him back to the farmhouse to call the hospital. But even after Leo woke up, even after he recovered, his heart didn't stop pounding fear through his body. Fear soaked through his skin and into his blood, into his very heart.

And he never went near the Mareep again.


	2. TWO

TWO

"You will be good, won't you, Leo? Oh, promise me, now!"

"Come on, Mum, I'll be fine," Leo mumbled, ducking away from his mother as she tried to smooth his hair.

She pursed her lips, forehead creasing in a frown. "Oh…" She sighed. "Well, if you're sure…"

"Come on, Lillian, we're going to miss the cab," said Leo's father, who was hovering in the doorway. "Leo'll be fine. He's not a kid anymore. He can cope."

"I can cope," said Leo, but he averted his eyes.

Eleven summers had passed since Leo's incident with the Mareep. Eleven summers of avoiding his father, who seemed determined to teach Leo how to rear the Pokémon. Leo had eluded the flock all season until his parents had decided to take a cruise around the Whirl Islands. Alone.

"Don't forget to feed the Mareep twice a day!" his mother called over her shoulder as his father chivvied her out of the house. "You know where their feed's kept, right? It's in the—"

"He knows, he knows!"

"Oh, alright, well, have a nice week, darling! We love you!"

Leo stood in the hallway with a hand raised in farewell as the door slammed shut behind them. "Bye," he whispered to the silence. He lowered his hand.

A week. A whole week without his parents pestering him to uphold the family farming tradition. He should have been ecstatic, but…

He trudged back to his bedroom and gazed out of the window. The flock of Mareep was just visible, a rustling mass in the distance. Leo shuddered. The Mareep that attacked him had evolved and been sold off to a Goldenrod breeder years ago, but he still wasn't keen to go near the rest.

They were already growing restless, bleating and nudging the gate of their pen. The electric charge crackling on their coats made his breath come shorter, and he turned away. Stupid. He was being stupid.

And it wasn't just Mareep. Any electric Pokémon made him afraid. Once, when Leo was eleven, a Pokémon trainer had stopped at the farmhouse for a glass of water. When he saw the trainer's Pokémon – an Electabuzz – Leo had screamed and locked himself in his room for three hours.

Leo gave a long sigh, and let himself fall backwards onto his bed. It was useless. He was never going to be able to take over this accursed farm. Every time his parents talked about it, he wanted to put his hands over his ears.

He wished he could run away. But there was nowhere to go. He didn't have any Pokémon – he didn't even particularly _like_ Pokémon – so he couldn't become a trainer. And anyway, how would he fend for himself? He had no money.

It was no use. He was worth nothing. Leo rolled onto his side and rubbed the bridge of his nose, where his glasses dug in. What was the point? What was the point?

He must have fallen asleep. The sun was starting to go down when half-whispered voices awoke him.

"See? I told you, they're gone. Coming in here was a waste of time, we need to hurry—"

"Alright, alright! Excuse me for wanting to be sure before we start bagging up their precious Mareep…"

Leo sat up, wiping drool from his chin. Those weren't his parents' voices. He tiptoed to his door and put his ear to it.

"…besides, I thought they had a kid? Didn't see him leave, did you?"

"All the more reason to get the job done _quickly_."

No, Leo definitely didn't recognise those voices. There were two of them – one male, one female. Were they burglars? Squatters? Keeping quiet, Leo grabbed an umbrella from beside his wardrobe and entered the corridor.

There was no sign of anyone. The voices had gone quiet, too. Confused, Leo crept towards the front door and looked through the peephole. Nothing.

Without warning, a hand grabbed his wrist and twisted, hard. Leo gasped and dropped his umbrella, and his wrist was wrenched behind his back in an arm lock. He tried to pull away, but another hand had pinned his other arm to his side.

"What you creeping around like that for?" breathed a voice in his ear.

Leo struggled, but it did no good. His captor was a smirking youth, perhaps a couple of years older than he was. His hair was blue and he wore a black cap, but Leo couldn't see further than his face.

"See – what did I tell you?" A girl with pink hair, chin-length, was approaching from across the hallway, arms folded. She wore all black, and she was frowning. A Rattata on her shoulder bared its teeth at him. "The kid _is_ still here." She uncrossed her arms, revealing a large red letter 'R' emblazoned on her chest. Something clicked in Leo's head.

"You're Team Rocket," he said. Notorious Pokémon thieves – how had it not occurred to him?

The Rocket holding him chuckled. "It seems our reputation precedes us." He turned to his companion. "Amy. What do you plan to do with this one?"

The girl, Amy, frowned again. "Hmm. It's a pain, but we'll have to—"

"Wait, wait!" Leo interrupted. His captor twisted his arm harder, and Leo bit his tongue to stop himself yelping. "Y-you're Pokémon thieves, right?"

Amy raised an eyebrow, and her Rattata hissed. "You're right. But we don't just steal any Pokémon, kid."

"Then you're after the Mareep?" Leo hardly dared hope.

"I don't think we have to tell you that."

"If it's the Mareep you're after, take them." Leo couldn't help himself – the words tumbled out in a rush. It was perfect. If the Mareep were stolen… they'd be gone. He'd be free!

"Take them?" said the Rocket at his ear. "You that keen for your parents' business to go bust?" He snorted.

Leo went red. "I don't care. I hate those Mareep. It would be a dream to have them gone, believe me."

Scepticism was written on Amy's face. After a moment, she said, "Thanks for your permission, kid, but it don't make no difference. We were gonna take 'em no matter what. Still… that is interesting…" She was eyeing him, but it wasn't just with suspicion. "What's your name?"

Leo swallowed. "It's Joshua," he lied. Saviours they might have been, but he would have been stupid to trust them.

Amy laughed. "Liar."

"Wh-what?"

"We've been watching this place for days, _Joshua_ ," said the other Rocket. "You really think we don't know your name?"

"Still, I like that," said Amy. "Quick to suspicion. Not bad."

"In any case," said the other Rocket. "It's not just the Mareep. You're coming with us, too."

Leo turned. "Huh?"

The Rocket shrugged. "Can't have some kid hanging around to run his mouth off." He let go of Leo to take a Pokéball from his belt, and Leo realised that he'd tied his hands behind his back. "Koffing, come on out."

Amy opened the front door. "Later."

"Koffing, use smog." The second Rocket gave Leo a hard shove before following Amy out of the door. "See ya, kid."

Leo fell hard on his face without his hands to break his fall. He cursed. "Wait!"

"Koffing-koff!"

Leo glanced up. The Koffing floating above gave a nasty smile and then opened its mouth wide to let a stinking grey gas gush out. "Wait! Stop!" Leo shouted, but then the gas went down his throat and he started to cough. His eyes were watering. "C-come back…!"

It was no good. He couldn't see now for the haze. His head was swimming.

"W-wait…!"

Leo's vision went black, and his head filled with fog.


	3. THREE

THREE

"What is _this_ supposed to be?"

Leo's mind wrestled with consciousness. Something hard nudged his head, and he heard someone click their tongue.

"The farmer's son. He caught us in the farmhouse, and now he's our prisoner."

"Huh. You should've left him in the forest to rot." It was a woman's voice. Leo tried to open his eyes, but they were too heavy. "Lugia knows, that's what Archer's going to have done with him anyway."

There was a pause.

"We'll have to see about that." The second voice was cold.

"If you'll excuse us, Ariana, ma'am."

Leo heard a huff and then the sharp clacking of heels echoing away. His mind was clearing – the world was beginning to make slightly more sense.

His hands and feet were pulled back and rope dug into them. He was on his side, and he could feel something underneath him, holding him up – Pokémon, most likely. There was also some unpleasant-tasting material in his mouth, and footsteps beside him. Had the Rockets been serious about taking him with them? Where was he?

The party reached an abrupt halt and Leo opened his eyes a crack. One of the lenses of his glasses had splintered, but he could see two pairs of legs and a corridor with whitewashed walls and a tiled floor. When Leo glanced down, he saw that several Rattata were carrying him.

The male Rocket pressed what sounded like an intercom buzzer. "Oliver Gray and Amy Marie, fourth level. Seeking an audience for advice about a prisoner."

There was a couple of moments' silence. Then a high, reedy voice spoke. "Enter."

A creaking sound like an opening door. The Rattata hardly waited until they were inside the room to drop him and return to their Pokéballs. Leo grunted, tasting carpet.

Before he even had a chance to struggle, Amy took a penknife from her pocket and cut the rope at his ankles. Leo jumped to his feet and spat the gag onto the floor, glaring at the Rockets. "What is going on? Where am I?"

Amy and the other Rocket ignored him. "Sir!" they said instead, both raising their hands in salute to someone behind.

"Very good, very good," said a voice – the same voice from the intercom. "At ease." Leo turned, blinking at his surroundings for the first time. It was a windowless office with dark walls and dark wooden furniture. Sitting at a mahogany desk on the back wall was a man with turquoise hair and sharp, pointed eyes. The wilting pot plants next to him did not give Leo much confidence.

Amy and the other Rocket clasped their hands behind their backs. The man behind the desk wore a different uniform to them, a white jacket with a small red 'R' on the left breast. With a jolt as their eyes met, Leo realised that this was probably someone important.

"Archer, sir," said the male Rocket, "we have reported the result of our assignment to Ariana. The flock of Mareep are now in Team Rocket's possession."

"Indeed," replied the man behind the desk – Archer, was that his name? "In that case, I assume _that_ this is the reason you're here?" His eyes caught Leo's, and Leo forced himself not to look away.

"Yes, sir. Leo Rosen, the farmer's son. He saw us in the act of stealing his father's Pokémon, and we were forced to take him into custody."

"You've turned out his pockets, of course?"

"Yes, sir."

"No Pokéballs? Capture Stylers? He may be an imposter."

"Nothing suspicious, sir."

Archer's eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything more, Amy spoke. "Sir, if I may," she said, "I realise that prisoners are usually dealt with more… privately, but this boy could have potential."

Leo snapped a look at her. Her face was still neutral.

"Potential?" said Archer.

"Yes, sir," said Amy. "Even though we had him pinned down, when he heard of our goal to take the Mareep, he invited us to help ourselves. And not in a way that suggested he was just trying to save his own skin, either. It seemed like he… wanted us to take them. Like he'd be pleased if we did."

"I agree, sir," said the male Rocket. "I think it would be a waste to disregard him."

Archer said nothing for a moment, leaving silence except for the pounding of Leo's heart. Was he in danger or not? This man seemed as though he held a lot of power in Team Rocket. But Amy had said it – the word _potential_. Leo bit his lip. No one had ever said that about him before.

"And what would you have me do with him, Gray?" said Archer. "Marie?"

The two Rockets glanced at each other. "I would have him join Team Rocket, sir," Amy said.

The shock hit Leo like a brick to the face. Join Team Rocket? His fists clenched. Team Rocket were bad guys, right? Everyone thought so. They stole Pokémon. They were nothing more than petty thieves.

So why was the idea so appealing?

Amy's words seemed to amuse Archer. He let out a breath that could have been a laugh. "Fine," he said. "The two of you have done well in your assignment, so I'll give the boy a choice." He fixed Leo again with that piercing stare. "I'm sure you know who we are. Team Rocket are somewhat notorious these days. We are a Pokémon trafficking organisation who exist solely for the profit of its members. My name is Archer. I am the highest-ranking executive in Team Rocket since the disappearance of Giovanni, our leader and founder. You, boy, seem to have been caught up in a job of ours. It would be too dangerous for me to let you go. So you have a choice. Join Team Rocket – let us be your muscle, your allies, and the answer to your fears." His eyes slitted. "Or you can rot in the depths of Mount Mortar."

Silence fell. Leo could hear ringing in his ears.

Team Rocket. He had never even considered it before. But here it was, an opportunity – he could start his life again. Never have to face an electric Pokémon. Never have to look his parents in the eye…

And if he thought about it, he didn't have any real moral problems with Team Rocket. Pokémon were… well, just Pokémon, weren't they? And if Team Rocket promised to be the answer to his fears…

It wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway.

"I'll join," he said.

"Phew," said Amy, as they closed the door to Archer's office. "I thought he was gonna cream us."

"He probably still will later," said the other Rocket. "If we hadn't taken this guy to the hideout, he wouldn't have seen enough to be an inconvenience."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We did the job, so the big man can't complain too much." She glanced at Leo. "You okay, kid?"

"U-uh, yeah," said Leo. "Um, thanks. I owe both of you. Like, a lot."

"You bet you do," said Amy. Her tone softened. "But you took my interest. Couldn't just send you to die, right?" She stuck out her hand. "The name's Amy."

"I'm Oliver," said the other. "Level four."

Leo shook their hands. Both of them were calloused. "Leo," he said.

"We know," said Amy. "Like I said, we spent two weeks preparing for that assignment. Had close watch on the whole farm."

The back of Leo's neck prickled. That felt kind of creepy. He looked at Oliver instead. "What did you mean, level four?"

"It's the Rocket grunt system. It's tiered," he said. "Levels one to six, then you hit executive. Amy and I are both level fours, but you'll be starting off at level one. Training level."

"May as well take you to the level one dorms while we're at it," said Amy. "Don't want you getting lost, now, do we?"

Leo wanted to protest that he'd be fine, but he held his tongue. They'd already walked through three separate corridors that all looked identical.

It took another ten minutes to reach the dorms. All the corridors were white and most were lined with statues of Persian whose eyes seemed to glint. Finally, they stopped at a door which looked exactly the same as all the rest.

"Well, here we are," said Amy.

"Good luck, kid." Oliver winked, and then they walked away.

And Leo was alone. He put his hand on the doorknob, wishing it would stop shaking, and turned.

Beyond the door was a noisy common room that went quiet the moment Leo stepped inside. The hubbub of chatter died, and more than twenty pairs of eyes turned to look at him. Leo felt the tips of his ears go red.

A girl with curly brown hair reaching her chest gave him a particularly hard stare. "New?" she asked.

"Er, yes," replied Leo.

The other grunts visibly relaxed. Even though they were off-duty, they all wore Team Rocket uniforms. "New," they said, and the chatter recommenced, leaving Leo hovering by the door.

The curly-haired girl had stopped paying attention to him. She was playing a game of chess with a boy who had hair like a curly coffee-coloured mop, so Leo approached her. "Uh," he said. "Thanks, I guess? I'm Leo."

She gave him the briefest of looks. "It's Ella." She moved her bishop and captured a pawn.

The boy she was playing with looked a lot friendlier. He flashed Leo a smile. "Ignore my sister, she doesn't know how to be polite," he said. "I'm Noah, nice to meet you."

"Hi," said Leo. "Your sister?"

Ella pointed at herself without taking her eyes from the chessboard. "His twin, in case it was hard to tell." Before Leo could say anything, she added, "If you're trying to look for tips, don't bother. We don't share our secrets with newbie trash. Noah, take your turn."

Leo was a little taken aback, but he supposed a cold exterior was sort of part of the job description around here. "I mean, actually, I was just going to ask which dorm's which."

Moving a rook three spaces down, Noah pointed to the left. "Male that way," he said, "female opposite."

"Thanks," said Leo, and started in the direction he'd pointed.

The twins watched him go. Several seconds later they watched him re-emerge, red-faced, from the girls' dormitory.

Noah grinned. "One tip for free, rookie," he said. "Don't trust anyone."


	4. FOUR

**sorry this is taking a long time to update! i've been working quite a bit before uni starts again. hope you enjoy chapter four!**

* * *

FOUR

The next morning, Leo awoke (in the correct dormitory) to a shrill voice.

"Get _up_!"

Leo groaned and tried hard to open his eyes. There were no windows here, but it felt early, and he could make out two blurry shapes standing beside his bed. "Glasses," he muttered, reaching for the bedside table.

"Here." A pair of glasses were thrust into his hands. Leo put them on, and was surprised to see that the left lens had been fixed as Noah and Ella came into focus. Ella looked less than impressed. "I cannot _believe_ you were still asleep, rollcall's in less than ten minutes for today's programme—"

"This arrived for you last night," Noah interrupted, tossing a plastic-wrapped bundle of clothes at him, "and so did those glasses. Put them on, then meet us downstairs, and _hurry_."

"I wouldn't have even bothered to wake you, but I am _not_ getting in trouble because some new kid showed up late," said Ella.

Leo was still half asleep. "Wait—" he said, but the twins were already gone.

There was nothing else to do but obey. Leo changed, wondering how he'd slept through the rest of the dorm getting ready. It was a large, bare room that contained nothing but rows upon rows of beds, so it wasn't like there was anything blocking out the noise. He supposed it was early – the clock hanging above the doorway told him it was six fifty-three.

The package contained his new Team Rocket uniform. It was stiff, as though just ironed, but it fit him surprisingly well, Leo thought as he pulled the jumper over his head. When had they taken his sizes? Even the white gloves fitted perfectly.

The uniform must have fitted him even better than he'd thought, because when he came down the stairs to the common room, Noah wolf-whistled. He grinned when Leo went scarlet.

Ella glared. "Let's _go_ ," she said.

* * *

" _Fall in_!"

Leo, Ella, and Noah arrived at the training field, a huge swathe of grass outside the Team Rocket base, just as the rest of the grunts were hurrying to form a line. Leo had been a little disorientated to discover that the hideout was underground, but there was no time to give it any thought – they joined the line and copied the salute that the other grunts were doing.

At the end of the line, a burly man with the largest eyebrows Leo had ever seen was inspecting each grunt. His purple mohawk seemed to bristle as his eyes roved them. Leo glanced around, hoping he was saluting right.

"Who's that?" he whispered to Ella, who was next to him.

Ella shot him a withering look, but replied, "Viper. The training officer to level one. Each executive oversees a grunt level from two onwards – Petrel for level two, Proton for three, Ariana for four, Archer for five—"

"Miss Gray."

Ella snapped back to attention. Viper had reached her. "Viper, sir!"

Viper narrowed his eyes, but then they moved to Leo. "Miss Gray," he said, "would you be so kind as to inform me who this young man is? And as to why he is wearing the wrong uniform today?"

Leo felt his eyes go wide. Wrong uniform? No way.

But as he flicked a look either side of him, he felt his stomach sink. The colours were so dark he'd thought it was a trick of the light, but now he realised that some of the grunts were dressed in a uniform of navy blue, and the rest in deep maroon. He was the only one wearing the usual Rocket black.

Ella hesitated a moment. "His name is Leo, sir! New recruit, sir!"

"Oh, I see. New recruit." Viper's lip curled. Leo could smell his breath. "Archer might've told me about something like that. Weren't you told we were doing team activities today, boy?"

"N-no, sir!" said Leo. "This is the only uniform I've received so far!"

Viper looked away, and Leo breathed. "Hmm. I'll let it slide today—what did you say your name was?"

"Leo Rosen, sir."

"I'll let it slide today, Rosen, but ensure you have the correct uniform in the future, understand? Join the blue team for now."

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" Leo said, wondering if he was going to be expected to figure _everything_ out for himself around here.

Noah and Ella were on the blue team, too, much to Ella's disgust when they split into groups.

"I can't believe we're stuck with the rookie, _again_."

"Oh, you already know the new kid, Ella?" said the captain of the blue team, an older girl called Nicky. "Great, you and Noah can partner with him. Do you good." She winked and tossed Leo a Pokéball from her rucksack.

Leo caught it, ignoring Ella, who had erupted into more complaints. "Partner?"

"Right, right. We're being given a practise assignment in teams," said Nicky. "Team who steals the most Pokémon in the fastest average time wins, so obviously it's most efficient for each team to split into twos or threes. You get one random Pokémon to help you." She glanced at the red team, who were already sending out their pairs and trios. "Better get a move on, you guys."

Noah tugged on Leo's arm. "She's right, let's go," he said.

"But I don't want—" said Ella.

"Let's _go_ ," said Noah, grabbing her by the wrist.

Leo hurried after them, still clutching the Pokéball. "But shouldn't we check what Pokémon—"

"Plenty of time for that later," said Noah. Leo realised he was grinning. "For now… let's go find something to steal."


	5. FIVE

FIVE

After leaving the training pitch, the environment quickly changed from rural to suburban. Wooden-panelled buildings rose before them, and Noah slowed to a fast walk as they entered the town, wherever it was, proper.

"Where are we?" said Leo, although he felt like he recognised it.

Ella only tutted, but Noah said, "Mahogany Town."

It clicked. Mahogany was only two towns east of home. A prickle of guilt made Leo's neck itch – his parents would be arriving back in less than a week. Ella's mouth twitched. "You don't even know _that_?" she said.

"I was brought here unconscious yesterday," Leo pointed out. "Cut me a little slack."

Ella's expression suggested that she didn't plan to. Noah shook his head. "Anyway. The mission." He stopped in the shadow of a particularly large building, glanced around for witnesses, and said, "I don't know about you two, but I think Lake of Rage is our best bet."

Ella frowned. "It's a bit far out. We'll waste time getting there."

"Yeah, but we can make up for that with what we bring back," said Noah. "The lake should be filled with Gyarados, if nothing else. And people go out to train there all the time."

"Hmm." Ella's eyebrows knitted, but then she nodded. "Okay. Sounds good. Let's get going."

"I agree too," Leo said, slightly offended that they hadn't even asked his opinion, but the twins were already heading out of town.

Well, they couldn't ignore him forever. He gritted his teeth and followed.

Once they were out of town and well onto the forested path that led to the lake, they stopped for a minute breather. That was when Leo realised he still had the Pokéball Nicky had given him.

"Oh – hang on, shouldn't we check what this is?" he asked. Ella and Noah looked at him.

"Oh, right, yeah," said Noah. "Let it out."

"Hope it's something decent," Ella said.

Leo nodded, and tossed the Pokéball in the air. A blinding flash of white light, and—

"Pichu-pi!"

A Pichu beamed up at them, static crackling on its cheeks. Ella made a noise of disgust.

"Ugh. Great. What are we meant to do with this?"

Leo didn't hear her. He felt rooted to the ground, and the electrical buzz was making him feel sick. He hadn't been this close to an electric-type for a long while, since…

To his relief, Ella snatched the Pokéball from his hand and called the Pichu back. As soon as it returned, Leo's head felt clearer.

Neither of the twins looked pleased with their Pokémon, either. "I mean, I guess it could be of _some_ help…?" Noah shook his head. "Nope. Nope. I got nothing."

"What's it gonna do, distract the enemy with Cute Charm?" Ella said with a hint of a sneer.

But Leo wasn't sure. If it could distract… "No, that's it!" he said.

"Huh?"

"We… we could use Pichu as a distraction." The idea made Leo want to run himself off a cliff, but if it could help… "It can shoot up electricity, which will draw the attention of everyone around. And that'll give us time to take some Pokémon."

Ella gave him a thoughtful look. "That's… actually not a bad plan," she said, to Leo's surprise. "But it needs more."

"More?"

"Yes. People won't stay long once they've realised it's just some wild Pichu by itself," she said, pushing the Pokéball into Leo's hands. "You need to pretend to be its trainer and engage them. That'll provide a better distraction."

Leo's heart stopped. "Why me?"

"I think you're right, Ella," said Noah. "Leo, we've both got more stealing experience than you. And you know better than us what it's like to be a civilian. It works."

Well that was true, but… Leo squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't object without revealing he was afraid of the Pichu. And that would cement it for the twins – he was pathetic.

It looked like the twins weren't even waiting for him to agree anyway. "Great," said Ella. "We'll carry on to the lake. Give us a couple of minutes and then let Pichu go crazy. We'll take that as a signal."

"Okay," said Leo. His palms were beginning to sweat.

"Okay. Good luck," said Noah, and they were gone.

Leo trembled as he watched them out of sight. Trying to compose himself, he pulled off his jumper and tied it around his waist to hide the red 'R'. He took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair.

There didn't seem to be anyone around. No one to hear him scream—

No, it wasn't so bad. It wasn't so bad. Pichu was tiny. And Archer _had_ told Leo that Team Rocket would be the answer to his fears…

It wasn't a choice. He had to do it.

Leo steeled himself, then threw the Pokéball as far away from him as he could.

"Pichu, use thundershock, full power!"


	6. SIX

SIX

A ribbon of electricity snaked up into the sky, flashing colour through Leo's closed eyelids. He couldn't help himself – he stumbled as a flock of bird Pokémon took flight, tripped and fell to the ground.

" _Chuuuu_!"

Leo put his hands over his ears and pressed himself against the trees. It couldn't hurt him. It couldn't hurt him. The sound of raw electricity was shrill, and he could smell something burning, but it couldn't hurt him.

He didn't even notice that a crowd of people were gathering until one of them shouted.

"Hey!"

Leo looked up. A young man at the head of the knot was waving at him. He wore a cape, and his hair was a shock of red.

"Are you okay?"

Leo struggled to find his voice, and when he did, it had shot though several octaves. "U-um, I don't know what happened!" He winced at himself. "M-my Pichu just went crazy!" He glanced at the Pokémon and forced himself not to pass out – it didn't look like it was even getting tired.

The red-haired man nodded and took a Pokéball from his belt. "Not to worry!" he called. He tossed the Pokéball. "Aerodactyl!"

A huge, granite-grey Pokémon with wings longer than Leo's torso burst from the Pokéball. It gave a screeching cry and wheeled around to look at its trainer. The crowd behind gave an appreciative, " _Ooh_!" and Leo scrambled even further out of Pichu's range.

The red-haired trainer ran forward, out of the crowd. "Aerodactyl, now!" It wasn't a command, but it seemed to be enough – the Aerodactyl screeched again and began to flap its wings, creating a great current of wind. Clouds began to gather, blotting the sun and making the March day feel even colder.

"Get down!" shouted Aerodactyl's trainer. Leo didn't hear his cry over the whistle of wind and Pichu's electricity, but he was wise enough to copy all the lakegoers, who were flattening themselves to the ground, bracing one arm over his head.

The Aerodactyl was flapping its wings faster now, and even as Leo watched the wind began to spin and twist into a roaring tornado. It had to be a twister attack.

Pichu stopped its thundershock as the twister approached. "Pi-chu!" it cried in alarm, but before it could run, the twister was already bearing down on it. "Pi-pi!"

Leo fumbled with the Pokéball. "Pichu, r-return!" Even though the Pokémon was caught up in the whirlwind, the red beam of light struck it squarely in the back and it disintegrated back into the ball. Relief washed over Leo at once, which was ridiculous seeing as he was still faced with the more logical danger of a roaring tornado.

But the red-headed trainer nodded. "Aerodactyl!"

Aerodactyl shrieked its reply. It stopped flapping its wings and instead slammed its tail into the twister, towards the ground. The wind dispersed as it hit the earth, and Leo felt it rush over his hair.

And then… quiet. The sun peered from behind the clouds, and Leo tried to find his feet. He was covered in pine needles. The lakegoers, too, were starting to stand, and their murmuring sounded impressed as they scattered.

"Aerodactyl, return." Leo's attention turned to the red-headed trainer, who was walking towards him with a grin.

"Uh—thanks," Leo said. "I'm sorry, er… I don't know what happened, Pichu never normally acts like that…"

"No worries, man, no worries," replied the trainer easily. "It's a good Pokémon, it'll grow up to be powerful. You're lucky to have it." He offered his hand. "Name's Lance."

Leo shook it. "Edmund," he lied, then he stopped. "Wait – did you say _Lance_?"

How had he not seen it? Lance, the Johto League Champion. He'd cheered for him from his living room during the League competition just last year! Leo didn't know whether to curse or thank Ho-oh that he'd run into such a powerful trainer. Great Suicune, if they could get their hands on one of _his_ Pokémon…

Lance laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, that's me." He smiled again. "Edmund, huh? I'll remember it."

"Uh… yeah." Leo had used the first name he could think of – his older brother's. He steered the conversation away. "So, er, what brings you here?"

Lance dropped his smile. "Oh… you know," he said. "Just going to have a look at the lake. I hear the Magikarp are acting real weird lately, and I'm betting Team Rocket is involved."

There was a jolt in Leo's stomach. "Team Rocket?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you've heard of them. They're always up to no good. In fact…" Lance fixed Leo with a look. "You might want to be careful yourself, Edmund. What you're wearing is almost similar to what their members go about in, and you know. You don't want people to think you're a troublemaker."

Leo swallowed. Did he suspect something?

But Lance gave a short laugh and the tension broke. He clapped Leo on the shoulder. "Well, I shouldn't keep you," he said. A flash of a Pokéball, and he was climbing onto the back of a Dragonite. "See you around, Edmund!"

With a flap of Dragonite's wings, they took off. Leo let out his breath. Thank Raikou. He really hadn't noticed.

He just hoped that that had been distraction enough for the twins.

* * *

"Ugh, there's _nothing_ here."

Since they'd seen Pichu's electricity shoot up, Ella and Noah had been ransacking an old fisherman's house near the lake. The old fisherman in question was tied up and gagged in the corner, unconscious. But the only thing they had found, besides some dusty Pokémon masks, were three or four Pokéballs containing Magikarp.

"I'm not taking these back, Viper'll think we're a joke," said Ella. "We'll have to—Noah?"

Noah was looking out of the window, and his face had turned grave. "Ella, look." He pointed, and Ella looked.

There was a rider flying a Dragonite overhead.

Ella felt her blood go cold. "It's not…?"

"We're close enough to Blackthorn for it to be a possibility. We're in trouble."

Ella swore. They were no match for a Champion, and his 'righteous' vendetta against Team Rocket was well known. She thrust a Chimchar mask at Noah. "Quick, put this on." Snapping on a Piplup mask, she crept to the door and took a look. "I think we're clear, but we can't take any chances. We've got to go, now."

The twins stole out of the house, trying to keep to the trees. Ella was thinking fast – what about the mission? Had Leo escaped the Champion unscathed?

But her thoughts were cut short but a cold voice.

"I didn't know Team Rocket were recruiting infants now."


	7. SEVEN

**lol i forgot to keep uploading this fic**

SEVEN

It was only when Lance was out of sight that Leo realised that the twins might be in danger. Sure, it would be incredible if they could swipe one of his Pokémon, but realistically he was more of a liability than an opportunity. Besides, Ella and Noah both had their red Rocket 'R' on full display. Lance would recognise them for what they were at once.

Panic began to rise like bile in Leo's throat. He had to get to the lake. But how? Lance had the advantage of a fast Pokémon and a head-start. Leo had his legs, and a Pichu that made him sick to think about.

But he couldn't just abandon them, either. He shuddered to think what Nicky, let alone Viper, would say if he returned not just alone, but empty-handed.

He'd just have to hope. Leo took off at a jog. Maybe he could reach the lake before Lance found them – or at least before Ella could do anything stupid.

It was warm for March, and Leo's fringe was soon sticking to his forehead. He was madly unfit – he hadn't got far at all when he had to stop, gasping and clutching at the stitch in his side. As his breathing slowed, he felt panic itch at the back of his throat again. It was no use. He was never going to make it in time…

Something nudged his foot. Leo looked down and frowned. A Pokéball? He glanced around, but there was no one in sight. He was just making to pick it up when—

"It's yours if you can make a good trade."

Leo almost leapt into next week. Leaning against a tree with her arms folded was a girl. She was clearly a Rocket – she wore the white boots, black skirt, and jumper inscribed with an 'R' – but she couldn't have been older than twelve. A fluff of blonde hair hid one eye, and the rest of her face was blank. Unreadable.

"U-um," said Leo.

"Toss it," the girl said – although her tone suggested it was more of an order.

Leo gulped. Something about this girl made him nervous. That expression wasn't one that belonged on a twelve-year-old. He picked up the Pokéball and threw it; a Dodrio appeared in a blinding flash.

Leo stared at it. This was what he needed. A fast Pokémon to ride to the lake. But—"I've only got a Pichu," he said.

There wasn't the slightest flicker in the girl's expression. "I can accept that."

"But my team were given this Pokémon – are we allowed—?"

"Of course. People trade all the time." Her voice was smooth. She held out her hand.

Something didn't feel right, and Leo knew it. But he didn't have time to think about it. He put Pichu's Pokéball in the girl's hand, scrambled onto the Dodrio's back, and they were away.

He didn't look back. If he had, he would have seen the girl pocket the Pokéball with a hint of a smile.

Leo raced towards the lake. Bumpy as it was (he'd only ridden a couple of times before) the Dodrio was fast, and he was making far better time than if he'd continued on foot. In fact, he could see the lake on the horizon even now.

It was approaching rapidly. Very rapidly, actually. Leo just had enough time to wonder how he was going to stop when the Dodrio braked abruptly and he was thrown clean over its heads into the mud.

"Ouch…" Leo winced, but got to his feet at once. No time to waste – he shook the mud off as best he could. "Return, Dodrio." Now—

Three figures caught his eye. There, near that little bungalow. Two of them were wearing Pokémon masks, but there was no mistaking the twins.

And – Leo's heart sank – there was Lance, confronting them.

"I suggest that you return whatever you stole to that cottage." Leo could just hear Lance's voice from here. "Those masks, for example."

Ella was sneering. "Back off, _champion_. We've got our orders."

He had to do something. Leo frowned. Lance didn't know he was a Rocket… if he could pretend to be a civilian again, maybe he'd find some kind of edge.

He was about to shout to them when his phone began vibrating in his pocket. Leo felt a prickle down his spine. Of all the times… He reached into his pocket and his heart dropped even further.

The name on his phone screen read 'EDMUND'.


	8. EIGHT

EIGHT

 _Edmund_? "Shit," Leo muttered. Trust his brother to call him at a time like this.

He glanced up at Lance and the twins. They hadn't noticed him yet.

"Tell me what Team Rocket plans to do with the lake Pokémon."

"That's classified information."

Leo ached to ignore the call. The twins were doing remarkably well, but they couldn't keep bluffing forever. However, if he didn't pick up, Edmund might get worried and call his parents. They'd find out Leo was gone, and then… what? Leo wanted to put that off for as long as he could.

Reluctantly, he swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

" _Leo_!" Leo winced. Edmund, despite being a full-fledged adult with a mortgage and his own Pokémon, still acted like he was Leo's younger brother, not older. "Man, do I have news for you!"

"Hey, Ed. What is it?" Leo kept his voice low. If he could just end this call quickly…

"Huh? Why are you whispering?"

One of the saving graces of having Edmund as a brother was that he was gullible. Leo could have probably told him that he'd been kidnapped by pirates and Edmund would've believed him. As it was, however, Leo chose a more pedestrian lie. "I'm at the cinema," he hissed.

"Ah, I see! Wait, you left the Mareep all alone?"

"Um… they're with a friend." That wasn't entirely untrue.

Lance's Dragonite gave a furious cry. This wasn't good. Ella and Noah jumped into each other's arms.

"Whoa!" said Edmund. "What movie _is_ that?"

"Uh, a new one. Listen, Ed, I really have to go. The old lady behind keeps glaring at me."

"Aww!" Leo could hear the pout in his voice. "I wanted to tell you about Seadra's cool new move…"

"Later, okay?" Dragonite was moving forward. There wasn't much time.

"Ah, alright then. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah—"

"See ya!"

Edmund hung up. Leo stuffed the phone in his pocket and ran.

Ella and Noah saw him first, but he pressed a finger to his lips. If they said anything, it was game over. He just had to trust them.

"Hey! Hey, Lance!"

Lance and his Dragonite turned. "Edmund!" said Lance, his hard expression relaxing. "Just in time!"

"What's going on?" asked Lance. "You looked like you were in trouble!" He looked like he was threatening two teenagers, but that was beside the point.

"That's right!" Lance pointed at the twins. "I caught these two Rockets snooping around."

Leo grabbed Dodrio's Pokéball. He didn't have a plan, but maybe… He still had the element of surprise. "Why don't we team up to take them down together?" he said. "Go, Dodrio!"

Lance laughed. "That's great, kid! Good on you," he said. "Let's do it."

Ella smirked. "You think a Dodrio's gonna get the best of us?" Thank Lugia, they were playing along.

"Quiet," said Lance. He clenched his fist and looked out at the lake. "You couldn't understand." It had to be now. Leo untied his jumper from his waist and slipped it on. As he was straightening up, Lance said, "Edmund, I'll give you the honour of starting."

Leo felt himself start to smile. "Hmm. I dunno, Lance, I'd feel pretty uncomfortable about attacking Rockets." Lance's head snapped around. "After all… I'm one, too."

It took barely a second. Lance's face contorted. "Y-you—!"

Leo jumped onto the Dodrio's back. "You two! Now!"

Dragonite gave a furious roar as the twins ducked under its legs and scrambled onto the Dodrio. Lance's eyes were like fury – he lunged forward and caught Leo's leg.

"Dodrio!" yelled Leo, but the Pokémon was getting distressed. He tried to shake his leg from Lance's grasp—

"You're a _Rocket_?" hissed Lance. "I-I believed you! I trusted you! This—"

A part of Leo was relieved – he'd been almost sure that Lance had known his true identity all along. Leo kicked out, hard – his foot made contact with Lance's head and he went down. Dragonite gave a mournful bellow and rushed to its trainer's side. This was their chance.

" _Dodrio_!"

The Dodrio screeched, rearing up its heads so far that Leo feared Ella was going to fall, and then charged away back towards Route 43.

Ella tore off her mask. "See you later, loser!" She stuck her tongue out as the cries of Lance and his Dragonite faded into background noise, and Leo allowed himself to feel exhilarated.

"That was—" he said.

"—fantastic!" said Noah, who was hanging onto his waist. "He really didn't think you were a Rocket!"

Ella turned back to them and frowned, trying to keep her balance. "But we didn't steal any Pokémon – what are we going to tell Viper?"

Leo grinned and held up the Pokéball he'd plucked from Lance's waist seconds before he'd revealed himself.

"You didn't…" said Noah.

"He did!" said Ella.

Leo began to laugh. And as the Dodrio sped through the trees back to Mahogany Town, even Ella joined in.


End file.
